


A Grain of Sand and a Drop of Water

by Missnova



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Background characters falling in love, F/M, Falling In Love, Grief, Insecurities, Love, botw, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 02:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10401453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missnova/pseuds/Missnova
Summary: Rivan, a father of two and a guard for King Dorephan and Prince Sidon. Deltan, a traveling Gerudo searching for jobs and a partner. The two meet when Deltan sets foot in the Zora's Domain.





	1. Dark Nails and Pointy Teeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is rewritten!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter after suddenly having inspiration again! Hopefully I'll redo the other chapter too and continue on.

“Wow! I’ve never seen a Goron like that before!” one child spoke, pointing towards the small thumb tack sized figure arriving. His green tail drooped behind him, dipping into the water surrounding them.  
“That’s not a Goron, you moron.” another child chimed in.  
“Hey guys it’s a Goron!” the last of the small trio chimed in, her dark fins bouncing as her body did the same with excitement. The child was oblivious to the words of the others. The two swatted at the third and continued to stare for a few moments before racing back around the area, water splashing as they started to play again.

The approaching figure was not a Goron at all, but a chilled Gerudo. Deltan cursed the cold mildly as if the sands of her home never grew cold themselves. Through her travels though, she gathered the land here was cold almost all the time. It didn’t matter if it was dark or sunny- it was just always cold. She had to start upgrading her nightwear to keep herself warm without a fire. The hands stuffed in her pockets were slightly warmer than her face, and she then found herself wishing she took up the sweet merchant back at Kakariko village on that warm scarf. Her wallet was happy but her body was not.

The Zora’s Domain did not fall short from what she had gathered from books and passing travellers. Beautiful hues of blue. Stunning architecture. Astoundingly… wet. Yes it was all true; the exact opposite of the desert. Before she left her birthplace, the only greens she had seen were jewels and dyes. Now she can say the world was more colorful than she first thought.

Her leather boots made little noise as she stepped on the stone entrance. Soft music was playing as she entered and mist softly kissed her face, chilling her even more so than before. Deltan held her head high with a smile on despite her inconveniences. She probably looked a bit unkempt as her red hair, once held high in a ponytail, now fell to the middle of her back and flecks of dirt dusted across her hands and legs. A large tan bag rested on her back as her weapon clung to her side.

Posted at the entrance were two Zoras. One was dark, wearing what she guessed was the royal armor, whereas the other sported the same attire but was a tad bit shorter and more purple than burgundy. Deltan assumed the purple Zora was a vai as her face was softer than the other. The two eyed her, one resting on her weapon. She wondered if she got all the blood off of the scimitar. The Gerudo wanted to look like a friend, not a murderer.

“Hello.” Deltan greeted the two first. The knot in her stomach tightened as she had yet to master the accent. Thankfully the two guards responded with a hello themselves and a smile. The vai’s smile was bright with sharp teeth. The other kept his mouth closed, but smiled all the same. Deltan’s shoulders slumped as the knot dwindled in size.

For the rest of the night, she planned, consisted of finding three things: food, bed, and a drink. She chose to leave searching for jobs to the light of morning. As she was scanning the area, her boots suddenly descended with a splash. Deltan had decided anyone who heard her screech was lying or mad. Her shoulders fell as her eyes slid down to her feet. It seemed that most of the stone pathways were covered in cool water. The warmth in her boots were leaking out as the water seeped into the leather. She chose to then slip them off and discard them in the nearest trash can… or what she hoped was a trash can. As they slipped back into the water, Deltan shuddered at just how cold the water was. It most likely wasn’t cold enough to cause real damage, but the woman didn’t let the thought of getting some sort of cold vanish which was just ‘fantastic’.

Her eyes once more swept the area; she was once again the black sheep amidst the herd. This was no change to her honestly, for in her travels to find a partner she had immersed herself with many different people and cultures. Yet she found that her own sisters ran thin this far out from the desert. The Gerudo admired the area, pausing when children approached.  
They slid to a stop in front of her, nearly piling on top of each other.

“Hello there little ones.” She spoke, grinning at the trio. The green child ogled her before replying with a tilt of his head.  
“Where are your fins?” The purple one next to him punched his arm.  
“Don’t say things like that!” The child huffed.  
“It’s fine,” She lets out a laugh filled with mirth. “But I don’t have fins.”  
“Why?” The green one asked.  
“I’m not of your people.” she responds, bending down a little to look at them better.  
“Where did you come from?” The other child, who punched the first, spoke.  
“A place unlike this. Instead of walking on water, we walk on fine sands.” She watches them. They were so cute! Then again, she couldn’t say much since she thought all children were cute.  
“You’re pretty…” the blue one, who was more toward the back of the group, spoke quietly. If Deltan’s eyes could soften anymore, they’d be made of velvet. The other two children bursted out into a fit of giggles.  
“Vopor’s got a crush!!!!” the purple announced, squealing as the blue one, now quite darker, splashed his friends. They then ran off, but before they got too far, the green one turned and waved.  
“Bye pretty lady!” Deltan couldn’t help but wave back, she tried to contain giggles but a few escaped.

 

Finding and buying a room at the inn, Deltan dropped her worn traveling gear and decided to check out the bar after fixing herself up. As she walked, a few of the townsfolk had given her uncertain looks as she contrasted from the normal folk that traveled in and out of the area. She saw this and quickly dismissed any bad thoughts that entered her head. It couldn’t be her height, as she was roughly the same as the others. Was it her skin? Her nose? Did the Gerudo really not travel out here that often? Deltan could believe it, for the cold alone would no doubt keep her sisters from traveling there.

Rivan was finally finished with his shift. His daughter, Dunma, decided to call it a night and left, sweeping his smile along with her. He stretched, leaning his lance on one of the large columns. He felt… empty. Or was it hungry? The Zora found himself deciding it was a bit of both. It was really just another day for him. He next decided that grabbing some of Farun’s grilled bass and a drink was going to fill his void. As he headed over, still in his armor, he couldn’t help but see the newcomer. Even the reds in his own people couldn’t compare to the stranger’s firey hair. She glanced around from time to time, her face straight as could be. Then three children ran up to her and she threw her head back to laugh, her hair dipping back past her lower back.

He saw the whole thing, then decided it was his time to help when the three left and her smile fell. The dark woman looked from side to side before hesitantly continuing. Being of the royal guard, Rivan felt a sense of duty to help the traveler.  
“Are you alright, stranger?” he asked, watching her face shift to a smile as she turned to him.  
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she paused then added, “just trying to find my way.” One corner of Rivan’s lip rose in a smirk.  
“Ah, I was right,” He then matched her smile. “You are lost.” Her eyes widened a little, but she recovered.  
“How is a girl supposed to know where she’s going when there’s no map?”  
“You could have asked.” He reminded, watching her smile falter and earning a soft ‘oh yeah…’ from Deltan. After a second of silence, he spoke again,  
“Where are you trying to go? I’ll help.” She looked in his eyes for a moment, scanning for any malicious intent. Deducing there was none, she replied, explaining what her plan was. “Oh! I was just heading there myself, believe it or not!” Rivan got excited. Sure, he drank with his friends, but he always did that! This was a new person full of new things to learn!  
“Mind if I join you?” Deltan asked, a genuine smile spreading across her face. Rivan nodded, holding his lance in the hand farthest from her, then began walking.

After a few shots of King Dorephan’s Choice, the two were mildly buzzed and finally started to talk. Rivan had learned quickly that Deltan, when comfortable, was blunt. She spoke of how she was in search of a stable income as well as a partner. As she spoke, Rivan watched the blue light bounce off of her while she held her glass. Deltan asked if he had anyone special and he replied:  
“Ah, no. My wife died a few years ago actually. I hadn’t had the time to look for anyone else.” the Gerudo’s face fell and she quickly stumbled upon an apology.  
“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked…”  
“It’s fine,” He smiled at her. “It’s not as bad as it used to be. No need for an apology.” He reassured her. After a few more shots, they started getting more comfortable. Deltan swore the lady who kept bringing drinks was going to get bored of the same thing. So, Rivan then suggested the seaweed wrapped bass- what he was going to get. They then ordered and were left to wait. Deltan looked at him with a smile then began, one hand holding her head up as she rested on her arm.  
“Want to hear something funny?” She asked, looking him in the eye again.  
“Hmm?” he answered, feeling his cheeks getting a bit warm but reasoned it was because the alcohol was finally seeping in.

“The only reason why the voe wouldn’t take me was because I was too tall. Shows how open minded he was.” Rivan wondered if the foreign word was a curse or a simple word. He didn’t feel like asking yet, responding instead with:  
“Some people tend not to like that.” the dark Zora laughs deeply, taking another sip of his drink before answering. “It messes with their sense of superiority I suppose.” she explained a bit more on how she came to realize the guy was terrible, concluding with a look to the side while saying:  
“I decided I was too good for him anyways.” the glass rose to her raised mauve lips as she took a rather big sip of her drink, flavors exploding in her mouth. The liquor here had much more flavor. From her home, people commonly looked for rougher drinks to forget and warmer ones to keep them from becoming an icicle during the night.  
“You are.” he agreed.  
“You flatter me.” She smirked. The waitress came back with the food and different drinks this time.  
“Zori said you both might like this one. It’s on the house as long as you two review it.” She said, smiling sweetly at them. Rivan nodded and took the glass first, looking at Deltan. The woman took the glass and examined it a bit. It was a greenish blue concoction. “Zori calls it ‘Lake Spit’” the waitress adds. Deltan dipped her head to her, thanking her. The waitress then departed the table, as another called for her across the bar. Rivan seemed to be a bit unsure about it, but flashed her a smile and breathed the drink like it really was made of lake water. She decided that life was too short to worry about things and also downed her glass. The taste of apple gripped her taste buds and she immediately decided this was her favorite drink here so far.

After finishing her meal and chatting a bit more, Rivan chose to change the topic.  
“So, how is the desert?”  
“Hot, cold, dry, and a lot of sand,” She summed it up in those words. “Still beautiful though. What’s it like living with all the water?”  
“Cold, wet, sometimes warm, and a lot of water” he chuckled, setting down his glass. “I wish I could visit the desert sometimes.”  
“Hah! You’d dry up with one step.” She flashed a huge grin then poked his hand, making her hands ‘explode’. “You’d go poof with a single step!” She chuckled, then thought. Tapping her chin, she leaned back. “Actually, as long as you took a lot of water with you, you might stand a chance.”  
“Are you calling me weak?” He raised a brow, smirking as he folded his arms. Even after she removed her hand he still felt as it was there.  
“You might,” she put emphasis on might, “actually make it if you got to the Bazaar quick enough.” He chuckled then listened to her explain more of her home.

The rest of the night consisted of talks just like that. Culture, economics, each other… That’s what it all was that night. The scenery around them never changed, but the people and music did. Their rupees were greatly depleted, but the time they had made up for it. Truthfully, Deltan hadn’t talked to anyone this well in a while. Rivan made it easy though, however he was a little more tipsy than he’d liked to be. Deltan was only buzzed as the drinks tasted wonderful, but didn't pack a punch. That didn’t stop her from enjoying herself though as Rivan was trying to show her rupee tricks. The Zora insisted on walking the Gerudo back, just in case she lost her way, he reminded himself. She simply rolled her eyes and flashed a smile, allowing him to do so. Rivan found himself glancing up at her a few times as she was just a bit taller than he.  
“Well, I guess this is my stop.” Deltan motioned her hand toward the inn. Rivan honestly hadn’t realized till now.

“Yeah…” he replied quietly.  
“We should do that some time again,” The Gerudo commented. “The bar, hanging out.” then she ran a hand through her hair, dark painted nails disappearing into the red sea.  
“Y-yeah!” pointy teeth were shown as he smiled then rubbed the start of his tail.  
“I will be finding and doing jobs in the morning, but afterwards I should be free.”  
“You need a job?” his hand lowered from his head. Yes, she had mentioned something about that earlier in the night…  
“Mhmm,” she nodded, stepping out of the doorway so people could enter. She then looked up at the sky before continuing, “I used to make jewelry, sew, and sell what I made… but trade declined and so off I went, selling my wares around the land. I soon found making jewelry was becoming harder to make because the materials became harder to come by.” She paused and huffed once. So she just fell into a rough patch. He understood what that was like. A dark, dank hole which you don’t even know what way was up. It was infuriating.

“I’ll pass any jobs downstream.” He smiled up again at her.  
“Thanks.” she flashed a pretty smile as she then said goodbye, slipping into the inn.  
Rivan waved then stood there for a moment, dazed from his inebriation and the Gerudo woman who could rival Prince Sidon in height(and maybe muscle). He didn’t know what to make of that night, but he did know one thing: he felt alive.


	2. Swimming Upstream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I'm going to try to post every week. If not every week, then every other week! 
> 
> P.S I really like how this chapter came out!

Rivan had indeed passed down jobs for Deltan. He passed down three, to be exact. The first one, which she just finished, consisted of housework. The Zora pumped her fist up a few times when she was done. The fish told her that recently she hurt her arm and couldn’t do the things she needed to. Deltan told her to keep the money, as the woman was old. She lived alone in her home and her children and their children never stopped by. The woman, however, insisted the Gerudo at least took half of what was offered, not having it any other way. Deltan slipped half of the half back into the woman’s home. Now Deltan was on her way to a nearby pond to collect frogs. She was sent to a little one who promised her pay if she did that. Her last job offered her a lot of pay. It called for her to retrieve arrows marked from locations the shopkeeper circled. Easy enough. All of this was easy. It didn’t test her skills, but she needed to pay for the inn again and grab some food.   
She had caught four of the five frogs by evening. It took her at least thirty minutes to make a cage that would hold all of them. Luckily, sticks and fiber were just in reach for her. A soft ribbit was all it took before Deltan’s tan hand to shoot out and grab the final amphibian. She snatched it up and carefully slid it in with the others. Deltan soon washed off her hands in a nearby stream and took out a fish she had prepared earlier. The sun was well on its way to rest, just barely shining over the mountains. It was a sight that made her long for the skill of painting.   
A bit away from her, Rivan kept out an eye on the horizon as the sun set and the moon was well into the sky. It was his job to keep watch, but he soon found his thoughts traveling to the Gerudo woman he had shared a drink with the evening before.   
“Father…. Father!” His thoughts shot back into reality at the call from his daughter.   
“Hm?”   
“Thinking about that woman?” She asked, starting conversation with the widow.   
“Goodness, child.” he shook his head. “We’re working.”   
“That’s right soldier! But… that hasn’t stopped you from talking before, has it?” A smirk formed. Dunma had her mother’s beautiful eyes… “Anyways, how many people have walked by us so far?” The daughter questioned him.   
“Two?” He answered.  
“Nope! Your head is really in the sand, isn’t it?”   
“Really?” He asked. He honestly hadn’t even noticed. Upon realization of this, his jaw tightened.   
“Just kidding.” Dunma laughed lightly. Rivan swore he saw her refrain from sticking out her tongue at him. “So… Who is she?” Her laughter died down at this.   
She was as beautiful as the sunset, he found himself thinking matter-of-factly. He still felt the slightest guilt for these feelings, as he once felt these for his late wife. Dunma was a constant reminder of who he had lost.   
“Just a newcomer I grabbed a drink with.” He said simply. Anger somewhat bubbled inside of him.   
“Ah.” the girl shot him a look of disbelief but she knew he’d eventually tell her, so she remained silent. They were on duty after all!

Deltan found the shopkeeper never specified what arrows and how many. However, looking down at her measly five, she strived for more. Light thankfully lit up anything shiny, so that took half of the battle from her. Five turned into seven. Seven turned into eight. Eight eventually turned to nine. She found two more and placed the arrows with their sisters. The torch in her hand lit a few feet around her as she searched for any more lingering arrows. Eleven was fine, but she knew she could find more. Ducking under a log and being mindful NOT to set it on fire, she found five more, two crackled with electricity. As she reached for them, a weight manifested on her back and a screech went to her ears. It dazed her for not even a second. Letting out a small yelp, Deltan’s first response was to throw the attacker forward. The torch went from her dominant hand to the other as she unsheathed her own weapon. Then, the torch was flung from her hand to the Bokoblin, burning the side of it’s face. The wound sizzled for a second before the orange monster raised it’s club, getting ready to attack. Thankfully, the still burning torch gave Deltan enough light to work with. She charged at the monster. Being the first to swing, but not quick enough to catch the woman’s dodging form, the club in the Bokoblin’s hand struck the ground. A quick slice to it’s side was not enough to down it, but enough to stun. It blinked a few times, which gave Deltan the time to deliver a roundhouse kick to it’s head. It was fairly weak, she gathered, but if she gave any hesitation, her one-up on the beast would end. Now, the Bokoblin was on the ground, slowly getting up. She took this opportunity to thrust the sword right through it’s back. The fallen Bokoblin fell to the ground once more, giving it’s last groan and turning dark, poofing into nothingness.   
Deltan remained still for a moment, the sound of her breath along with the wind and crickets was all to be heard in the dark area. She simply brushed herself off and went on her way, securing the crate of frogs underneath her arm. 

Rivan was just about finished with his shift. Concern painted his figure as he kept scanning the area in hopes of seeing the fiery woman. Dunma had glanced at her father a couple times, knowing his concern but not feeling the same. Unless he had fallen asleep standing up again, his drinking buddy had not crossed his path. As he was about to leave, he spotted a woman’s figure with a box. The light post that the figure had walked under revealed herself to be just the person Rivan was scouting for. Red, he found, was not only the color of her hair this time. She looked… gorgeous. A warrior. A goddess. He blinked a few times and swallowed hard, fear taking hold. He rushed forwards to meet her.

Deltan held the frogs under her arm still, the other being taken up by the bundle of arrows she was so proud of. On the way back, she had found some more. As the adrenaline faded, wounds found their voice on her. She had encountered a few more Bokoblins on the way back, but had defeated them all. A dark form was racing towards her. She found it to be the dark Rivan, who was leaping over various objects to meet her. A small smile tugged at her lips as she thought of him as a frog more than a fish for a brief moment. The woman waved to him.  
“Sav’saaba, Rivan!” Ah! She did it! Deltan mentally kicked herself for greeting him in her native tongue.   
“Deltan!” He skipped greetings as he came to a stop in front of her, doubling over, and breathing deeply. “Are you… okay…?” Picking his head up, he met her hand, which patted his bump, arrows flashed from underneath her arm. She said nothing but nodded, smiling softly at him.  
“Are you hurt?” he attempted speech again, this time he didn’t sound as breathless as before.   
“Hurt?” She looked herself over. “Oh this?” She awkwardly gestured to the blood. “It’s not mine.” After flashing him a grin. She sighed and relaxed her posture. “A few Bokoblin decided to rear their ugly heads.” The male stared up at her. How could she be so casual? He thought. Noticing, she arched a brow. “What?”  
“You could have been injured…” he sighed, her face softening when he finished.  
“It will take a lot more to get the better of me.” Smiling, she then hiked to the store, Rivan in tow. Rivan wondered why she chose to go alone.   
Dunma was still standing there, watching her father while she was still in her guard attire. Two other Zoras had long since taken the father-daughter duo’s place. As she was watching her father and his new lady friend, she thought. To be honest, the purple female was a bit wary of the Gerudo. A small smile formed then she turned, leaving to go wherever she wanted.   
Rivan felt his daughter’s eyes on him. She wouldn’t be letting that up anytime soon. He gave a soft sigh, which got his companion’s attention. She shot a questioning look over to him, which he responded with a shrug. Deltan was no fool; she knew he was thinking about something. As to what, she hadn’t the slightest idea.   
The crunching of dirt soon turned to the clacking of what Deltan assumed was stone. Clacking turned to splashing as they descended onto the watery pathway.   
“The general store’s still open.” Rivan pointed out, voice low.  
“Right! I’m about to head there.”  
“I’m going to change then I’ll meet you at the bar if you want to hang out.” He heard the younger generations saying that and tried it out loud.  
“Alright,” Responding with a nod, she then added, “Are you sure you’re okay?” No. No he wasn’t. She could have gotten hurt! He found he was angry when he didn’t have the right to be.   
“Fine.” He responded.   
“You’re not fine,” she saw right through him, “Let’s talk about it after a drink tonight?”

Needless to say, the shopkeeper was impressed with her bounty. Deltan stepped back onto the watery path with a heftier bag of rupees at her side.  
“Please use your magic somewhere else.” A cool feminine voice spoke from Deltan’s left. Turning her head slightly, she found the voice belonged to the guard that was with Rivan the day she arrived.   
“Huh?”   
“I’ve heard what your people do.” The Zora frowned.   
“I assure you I mean no ill-will.” Deltan also frowned slightly.  
“Sure.” The shorter female rolled her eyes then left. What was that all about? Deltan then reflected onto a time long ago.


End file.
